Chapter 3
Alex woke up with Scorpion's arm locked around his waist like a fucking seatbelt.
It wasn't new. Scorpion had always been the clingy one in sleep — the guy who rolled over in the middle of the night and pulled Alex in like the bed might spit him out if he let go. But this? This was different. Tighter. Like Scorpion was scared the mattress itself would steal him away.
Alex blinked at the ceiling, the weak morning light leaking through the curtains. Pepper was already up, judging by the soft clink of a spoon in the kitchen downstairs and Vera's low voice murmuring something about "not too much sugar, kiddo." Normal sounds. Safe sounds. But Alex's chest still felt tight.
He tried to shift. Scorpion's grip didn't loosen. If anything, it got heavier, fingers digging into the soft skin just above Alex's hip bone, right where the old scar from the bakery shootout still pulled tight.
"Scorp," Alex whispered, voice sleep-rough. "Gotta pee, babe."
